Method of producing hot water by means of electricity and apparatus therefor.



G. G. BELL & J. ST. V. PLETTS.

METHOD OF PRODUGING HOT WATER BY MEANS OF ELECTRICITY AND APPARATUSTHEREFOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN.23, 1911.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

a sums-sum 1.

v m C 0 ml .71 61/ j? e G. G. BELL & J. ST. V. PLETTS. METHOD OFPRODUCING HOT WATER BY MEANS OF ELEOTRIGITY AND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.Z3, 1911.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

/ l ll l G. G. BELL & J. ST. V. PLETTS. T WATER BY MEANS OF ELECTRICITYAND APPARATUS THEREFOR.

METHOD OF PRODUCING H0 APPLICATION FILED JAN.23, 1911.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

I v 9. x w 7 0 Z/ k wi/bwwow respectively,

ducing Hot Water by a method, however,

GEORGE GILBERT BELL, OF LONDON, AND JOHN ST. VINCENT PLETTS, OF TEDDING-TON, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE AGE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

ASSIGNMENTS, TO ELECTRIC HEAT STOR- nrnrnon or PRODUCING Hor warns. BYMEANS or ELECTRICITY AND APPARATUS 'rnnanroa.

Specification oi I etters Eatent.

Patented Aug. 5, 1913.

Original application filed September 25, 1909, Serial No. 519,558.Divided and this application filed January 23,1911. SerialNaGOfiQZ.

To all'whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE GILBERT BELL and JoHN ST. jects of the Kingof Great Britain, residing, at 14 Addison Court Gardens, London,England, and 43 Clarence road, Teddington, in the county of Middlesex,

England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods ofPro- Means of Electricity and Apparatus Therefor; and we do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to 15 which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked"thereon, which form a part of this specification, which is a division 20of our application, Serial No. 519,558, filed September 25,1909.

This invention relates to a new or improved method of heating byelectricity and apparatus therefor.

The usual method of heating water electrically consists in placin waterrequired to be heate heated vessel, which may or may not be providedwith a heat insulating coating. Such is only capable of heating apredetermined quantity of water and requires a certain time to producethe temperature required while it'makes a large and brief demand uponthe electric supply,

35 but this invention is characterized by electrically heating a heataccumulator or'mass of a substance capable of storing heat and inimparting that stored heat to Water as and when required.

Moreover, according to this invention, it ossible to consume theelectrical energy eit er continuously or during those hours of the daywhen it may be purchased most cheaply for the purpose of storing up aconsiderable amount of heat (considerable amount of heat representingthe accumu- ,lation produced by the application of a "smaller amount ofelectric energy for a period of time) and to deliver the hot waterwhenever required in any quantities 'up to a maximum depending on thesize of the apparatus. The latter consistsin its sim- VINCENT PLE'rTs,subthe quantity of I in an electrically plest form of a heat accumulatoror mass of a substance capable of withstanding a hlgh temperature havinga high specific or latent heat value and it should be a good conductorof heatso as to impart its heat quickly to the water. Iron: for example,is a suitable material to employ and a mass of iron is dprovided with aduct or coil of pipe embe ded therein or passing through same for thepassage of the water, and an electric-heating device, both the coil andthe heater being surrounded by a heat insulating coating or jacket. Themass being heated, transmits heat to the pipe coil and thus heats thewater in or passing through same and means may be provided for mixingthe steam or hot water with cold water to give the temperature required.The massof iron may have any shape, but it is desirable that it shouldhave the least possible surface for its volume in order that the escapeof heat may be a minimum, and it is therefore preferable to cast asphere of iron about a coil of pipe, through 'which passes the water tobeheated. The coil of pipe may be of any length and may be arranged sothat there is an equal volume of iron within and without theconvolutions and, the piping may be of any section or may be corrugatedin order to give a large surface so that the heat may be impartedsufficiently quickly to the water passing through it.

Theheat may be produced by passing the electric current through aresistance of any kind as in the case of an alternating current by thehysteresis of a core around which the current passes or by the passageof a secondary induced current through a circuit of any form or by anycombination of these methods and the heating device of the apparatus maybe within or without the mass of iron or the mass of iron may itselfform part of the heating device. In the case of an alternating-currentwith secondary heat producing circuit the, pri-' mary circuit may beseparated from the mass of iron by a layer of heat insulating materialor may be entirely outside the insulating coating so that it conductsaway as'little heat as possible from the mass of H011.

may, if desirable for strength or otherwise,

,have an external or internal metal sheathmg, or it may consist of a"double sheathing with a vacuum between the walls and the external andinternal surfaces of the sheathlngs may be polished or silvcred tominimize radiation.

The steam or hot water produced by the passage of the water through thehot mass of iron may be mixed with cold water'either by employing a.thermostatic valve or cock which causes the water to issue at apractically constant temperature, or by employing an injector or mixingnozzle which picks up suiiicient water to condense the steam, or byemploying a hand regulated valve or cock by means of which thetemperature of the water can be varied as desired and in the latter casemeans may be provided for preventing the escape of uncondensed steam andthe consequent loss of latent heat by employing for example an automaticfioat valve which preventsthe passage of steam. The temperature of thesteam or hot water issuing from the hotmass of iron may also beregulated by providing a valve or cock connected to the coil of pipe atseveral points in such a manner that the water may be drawn from anyofsuch points thus regulating the temperature to which the water israised by varying the length of the duct or pipe through which itpasses.

It is evident, since there is no material which is a perfect heatinsulator, that a certain amountofheat must escape from the hot mass ofiron and the latter is therefore preferably placed together with itsinsulating coating within a tank from which the cold water to beconverted into steam or hot water or to be mixed with the steam or hotwater is drawn so that the heat escaping is not lost this tank may alsobe provided with a heat insulating coating. Further the electrical andwater connections may be constructed to have a considerable lengthwithin the tank 'so that what heat they conduct away from the mass ofiron is given up to the water and is not lost, and the water pipes maybe made of a material which is not a good conductor ofheat, or may haveinsulating washers inserted at one or more places in them to break themetallic connection.

The current used in this apparatus for heating may be obtained from asource on which the demand is variable, and when the demand is at itsmaximuinand can take all the supply, the current to the heatingapparatus of this invention is adapted .to be cut off by my known formof automatic switch. Y

WVe now proceed the heating device may substance which is a good" todescribe in greater dctail apparatus for carrying out our invention withparticular reference to the figures.

Figures 1, 2 and 3 are sections of differ.- ent forms of the apparatus.Fig. t is a. section of a thermostatic valve; Fig. 5 is a section of ahand regulated cock; Fig. 6 is another section ofthe cock shown in Fig.5; Fig. 7 is a section of another form of hand regulated cock; Fig. 8 isa perspective View of the removable section of the coil shown in Fig. 3;and Fig. 9 is a section of the insulating Washer shown in Fig. 2.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, m is cast about the coil of pipe 0 which isprovided with the inlet 2' and outlet 0.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the heat accumulator or mass of iron m is provided witha recess m containing the heater it connected to the electric mains cwhich pass out through the plug of insulating material p which can beremoved so that the heater h-may be removed and replaced.

In Fig. 1 the heat accumulator or mass of iron m is placed within avessel '0 from which the air is exhausted and the outlet pipe 0 of thecoil 0 is provided with a cock 2; and injector j which, if air isissuing from the pipe 0, picks up sufficient water from the tank Z tocondense the steam and deliver hot water at the orifice a.

In Fig. 2 the heat accumulator or mass of iron m, together with itscoating of insulating material a; and heater h; is placed within a tankZ through which pass theinlet pipe 1' and the outlet pipe 0 and in whichis an aperture for the insertion of the plug 3? with the electric mainse. The provided with an inlet pipe n and an outlet pipe 41, which latterconnects with the outlet ipe 0 of the coil 0 at the thermostatic valve4L and has a common outlet through the cock t and orifice a so that whenthe cock 2? is turned on, water will flow both through the mass of ironm and tank Z and be mixed at issue from the orifice a at a substantiallyconstant temperature.

r In Fig. 3 the heat accumulator or mass of iron m for simplicity ofconstruction is made cylindrical instead of spherical" and in place ofthe heater h of the former figures a coil of Wire k is wound aroundoutside of the insulating coating t), thus forming a primary circuitwhich, with an alternating current, will induce secondary currents andproduce heat in the mass of iron m. The pie-heating tank Z which isprovided with an insulating coating 0 is made with a large cylindricalrecess into which fits the mass of iron on together with its insulatingcoating '0 and primary coil ii the recess being closed by a plug ofinsulating material 17 through which pass the inlet pipe 1', the outletpipe 0 and the electric mains 0, but the inlet pipe 11, after it haspassed. through the plug of inthe mass of iron tank Z is also I thevalve 4: in such proportions that it will the water valves f about theorifice a so that the sulating material 0 and before it enters the massof iron me, makes one turn 0 in contact with the mass of iron m so thatthis external turn 0 in which the far will be formed, if the water ishard, can be easily replaced. The outlet pipe u of the tank Z is joinedto the inlet pipe 2' of the coil 0 forming a duct or heat deliveringchamber, and the inlet pipe 11. of the tank Z connects with the outletpipe 0 of the coil 0 at the hand regulated cock '5 and has a commonoutlet through ,the temperature of the water issuing from the orifice-acan be regulated by turning the cock 5 which varies the proportion ofwater coming directly from the inlet pipe at and indirectly through thetank coil c'and outlet pipe 0. Thus the water in the coil 0 is takenfrom the tank Z wherein it has been pro-heated. The tank Ztherefore actsas a .pre-heating tank or pre-heater.

In Fig. 4, which is a section on a scale, of the thermostatic valveshown in Fig. 2, 0 is the inlet for the steam or hot Z, pipes 24 and 2',

larger I Water issuing from the coil of pipe, n is;

the inlet for carried on the rod f. The inlets 0 and n screw into thebarrel 0? which is provided with a for attachment to a cook.

the colder water and both inlets; are partially closed by the valveswhich are projection-a? and is threaded at t A rod of metal 2, j

having a smaller coeflicient of expansionunder the action of heat thanthe metal of the barrel 0!, is fixed screw 2 and the valve rod 7 thebarrel projection al at d and pivotally connected to the metal rod 2 at2 so that if passing through the outlet duct or to the latter as by the'is pivoted to barrel d increases in temperature it will cause the barrel0! to expand more than the rod 2, thus moving the valve rod f and pivotd in the direction which closes the inlet 0' and opens the inlet M. ifthe temperature of the water decreases, the action is the reverse, withthe result that the water issuing at 15 will be maintained at apractically constant temperature.

In Fig. 5, which is a section on a larger scale, of the hand regulatedvalve shown in Fig. 3, 0 is the inlet for the steam or hot water issuingfrom the coil of pipe, 12 is the inlet for the colder water and a is thecommon outlet. A tapered plug 9 having passages w and a: 1- ts into thetop part of the barrel (5 and is held in place by the screwed cover 9and made water tight by the washer r. The plug 9 is also fitted with ahandle 9 and nipple 4.0 which, projecting into the constricted portionof the barrel d, insures the proper mixing of the steam or hot watercoming through the inlet 0 and passage to, with the colder water coming.through the inlet 12 and passage w. valve, Fig. 5, or the thermostaticvalve, Fig.

The use of the hand I 4:, involves the periodic or intermittentwithdrawal of hot water from 0, either as such or in the form of steamand the correspond ing periodic or intermittent withdrawal of heat fromthe accumulator m, it being the elementary idea of an accumulator thatit aliordsa store or stock to be drawn upon from time to time asdesired. This feature is referred to in the claims by the termperiodically. The same is true of the application of heat to theaccumulator, it being also an elementary idea that the accumulatorstores u small or irregular amounts of heat, such heat being produced bythe conversion into heat of electric energy applied at such irregulartimes as may be permitted by the other demands for current, such as forlighting and power. The accumulator thus performs its functions asastorage medium.

In Fig. 6 it is w in the plug 9 are so arranged that as the plug 9 isturned the passage m first opens to the inlet n and then as this closes,the

passage w opens to the inlet 0 until when the latter is wide open theformer is just closed thus enabling the steam or hot water to be mixedwith the colder water in any proportion required.

In Fig. 7, m is the heat accumulator or mass of iron and c the coil ofpipe, each convolution of which is connected by a short passage 0 to ahole drilled in the mass of iron m and fitted with a hollow or tubularplug 9 The gland 9 mass of iron m holds the hollow plug 9 in position bymeans of its tapered surface 9 and makes a watertight joint by means ofthe washer 1*. The hollow plug g which projects through the insulatingcoating 79 and has a handle 9 is also provided with holes to, w and 9 soarranged that any of the con-volutions 0 can sage 0 with the hollow plug9 thus enabling the temperature of the waterissuing at a to be varied byvarying the length of the path through the mass of iron m.

In Fig. 8 which is a perspective view on a larger scale, of theremovable section of the coil shown in Fig. ,3, c is the detachable turnof the coil 0 and 0 is a union or coupling for connecting it to thecoil.

screwing into a the seen that the passages 'w and be connected by itspasin Fig. 9 which is a section on a larger I scale,, of the insulatingwasher shown at is in Fig. 2, Z) is the pipe provided with flanges Z)which are separated by the insulating washer k. The joints between theflanges b and the insulating washer is are made ,watertight by means ofthe bolts 8 which are fitted ateach end with insulating collets I0 sothat there is no metallic connection between the bolts 8 and flanges band the con duction of heat along the pipe 6 is therefore greatlyretarded.

It must be distinctly understood that though only certain combinationsof heating devices, pipes and valves are illustrated,

any combination of these devices may be employed and further, that anysuch apparatus may be used in combination with any known form ofautomatic electric switch for the purpose, for instance, of cutting oftthe current when the maximum demand is being made on the electricsupply; for instance, an electro-magnetic switch, which automaticallyopens upon a predetermined voltage drop in the main circuit, may beemployed.

Tn some of the following claims we refer to the material of theaccumulator as having high latent heat value, which is to be taken inthe sense of the capacity for storing a considerable amount of heat,whether such heat be latent or specific, in the strict technical sense.1

The present application is a divisional aplication of our applicationSerial Number 519,558, filed September 25, 1909, for method of producinghot water by means of electricity and-apparatus therefor.

Having thus described our invention, what We claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is: 1

1. The method of heating water and of supplying the water at any desiredtemperature, which consists in electrically heating a relatively smallamount of water to a high 7 temperature, conserving the heat in excessof that required to heat said small amount of water and employing it toheat a large amount of water to a lower temperature, drawing ofl' theheated water simultaneously from both sources in varying amounts fromeach as desired, and discharging the same from a common outlet, wherebywater may be supplied at any desired temperature.

2. The method of heating water and of supplying the water at any desiredtemperature, which consists in electrically heating a relatively smallamount of water to a high temperature, conserving the heat in excess 0that required to heat said small amount of water and employing it toheat a large amount of water to a lower temperature, supplying the smallamount of water to be heated to a high temperature from the largeramount of water of lower temperature, drawing ofi' the heated watersimultaneously tromboth the sources in varying amounts from each' asdesired, and discharging the same from a common outlet, where by watermay be supplied at any desired temperature. r 3. A system forelectrically heating water and supplying it at any desired temperature,comprising a central source of electricity, an electric heater suppliedwith electricity from said source, to heat a relatively small amount ofwater to a higlrtemperature, conserving the heat in excess of that re-65 quired to heat said small amount of water water from both sources inply to the heater in a heat accumulator, means to contain a large amountof water heated by said accumulator to a lower temperature, and means tosimultaneously draw oft the heated varying amounts as desired, anddischarge the same from a common outlet.

4:. A system for electrically heating water and supplying it at anydesired temperature, comprising a central source of electricity, anelectric heater supplied with electricity from said source to heat arelatively small amountof water to a high temperature, a heataccumulator conserving the heat in excess of that required to heat saidsmall amount of water, means to contain a large amount of water heatedby the excess of heat in the accumulator to a lower temperature, meansto connect the large and small amounts of water, and means to draw oltthe heated water simultaneously from both amounts of water in varyingquantities and discharge the same from a common outlet.

5. A system for electrically heating water and supplying it at anydesired temperature, comprising a central source of electricity uponwhich there is a variable demand, an electric heater supplied withelectricity trom said source, means to cut oit the electric supply tothe heater when demand on the source is at its maximum, a heataccumulator heated by said heater and containing a small amount of waterheated to a high temperature, means to contain a large amount of waterheated to a lower temperatureby the accumulator, and means todraw offthe hea-ted water simultaneously from both amounts of water in varyingquantities and discharge the same from a common outlet. i

6. A system for electrically heating water and supplying it at anydesired temperature, comprising a central source of electricity uponwhich there is a'variable demand, an electric heater supplied withelectricity from said source, means to cut off the electric'supwhen thedemand on the source is at ;a maximum, a heat accumulator heated by saidheater and containing a small amount of water heated therebyto a hightemperature, means to contain a large amount of water heated to a lowertemperature by the accumulator, means to'supply the smaller amount ofwater from the larger amount, and means to draw off the heated watersimultaneously from both amounts of water in varying quantities anddischarge the same from a common outlet.

7. In -combination,-an electric heater, a heat storage mass heatedthereby, a small water heating coil in the storage mass near theelectric heater adapted to be highly heated, a water tank surroundingthe mass, means for supplying water from the tank to the coil and meansfor simultaneously discharging water from said tank and coil and forregulating the discharge.

8. In an electric heater for liquids, the combination with two receiversfor the liquid to be heated both permanently connected to a source ofsupply, a heat accumulator for one receiver, an electric heater for saidaccumulator and a mixing cock communicating with both receivers.

9. I11 an electric heater for liquids, the combination with tworeceivers permanently connected in series to a source of supply, a heataccumulator acting directly on'one receiver and indirectly on the other,an electric heater for said accumulator and a mixing cock communicatingwith both receivers.

10. In an electric heater for liquids, a receiver for the liquid to beheated, an insulating jacket for said receiver, a second insulatedreceiver of smaller capacity, means for electrically heating the tworeceivers to differing degrees of temperature and a mixing cockcommunicating with both receivers.

11. In an electric heater for liquids, the combination of an externalheat-insulated receiver, a second receiver contained in the external onewith intervening insulation and composed of a mass of heat storingmaterial forming the wall of the receiving chamber, an electric heaterapplied to said heat-storing mass and a mixing cock communicating withboth receivers.

12. In an electric heater for liquids, the combination of an externalheat-insulated receiver permanently connected to a source of supply, asecond receiver contained by and in communication with sald externalreceiver and composed of a mass of heatstoring material with a receivingchamber, an electric heater applied to said mass and a mixing cockcommunicating with both receivers.

13. The method of heating a liquid and supplying it at any desiredtemperature which consists in electrically heating a relatively smallquantity of the liquid to a high temperature, conserving the heat inexcess of that required to heat such small quantity of liquid andemploying it to heat ,a large quantity of the liquid to a lowertemperature, drawing ofl the heated liquid simultaneously from bothsources in varying amounts from each as desired and discharging the samefrom a common outlet, whereby the liquid may be supplied at any desiredtemperature.

14. The method of heating a fluid and supplying it at any desiredtemperature which consists in electricallyheating a relatively smallquantity of the fluid to a high temperature, conserving the heat inexcess of that required to heat such small quantity of fluid andemploying it to heat a large quantity of the fluid to a lowertemperature, drawing off the heated fluid simultaneously from bothsources in varying amounts from each as desired and discharging the samefrom a common outlet, whereby the fluid may be supplied at any desiredtemperature. we

15. In combination an electric heater, a heat storage mass heatedthereby, a small fluid heating coil in the storage mass near theelectric heater adapted to be highly heated, a fluid tank surroundingthe mass, means for supplying fluid from the tank to the coil and meansfor simultaneously discharging the fluid from the said tank and coil andfor regulating the discharge.

16. In an electric heater for fluids the combination of two receivers ofdiffering capacity, both receivers being permanently connected to asource of supply and communicating with each other in series, means forheating the two receivers unequally, and a mixing cock communicatingwith both receivers for withdrawing their contents jointly.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention, we havesigned our names in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE GILBERT BELL.

JOHN ST. VINCENT PLETTS. Witnesses:

W. MORBEY,

C. P. LEDDON.

